Google rumored to be launching 2nd generation Nexus 10

Though its sales haven't approached iPad levels, Google's Nexus 10 is a beast. It has the sharpest display of any tablet, one of the fastest mobile processors, and a US$400 starting price. But, impressive as its hardware is, the Nexus 10 isn't perfect. Google reportedly realizes this, and is ready to improve on its formula with a 2nd-gen Nexus 10.

Graphical firepower

According to Bright Side of News, Google wasn't completely satisfied with the Nexus 10's performance. Its Samsung Exynos chip benchmarks with the best, but still struggles with the device's 2,560 x 1,600 display.

Google's answer? How about an upgraded Nexus 10 with quad-core processing and eight-core graphics (the source suspects ARM's Mali T678 GPU). This would help to a) drive the display's over four million pixels without hiccups, and b) move its performance closer to that of a desktop gaming PC.

Old and new

Apart from the upgraded CPU and GPU, the 2nd-gen Nexus 10 will remain largely the same. It will sport the same ultra-sharp display as its predecessor, along with an equal 2 GB of RAM. The source reportedly viewed a prototype that had an identical exterior to the original, but didn't rule out minor changes to the market version.

Google's manufacturing partner is unconfirmed, but if the tablet retains many features from the original Nexus 10, that would almost certainly (again) make it Samsung.

Release?

The new Nexus 10 doesn't yet have any firm release dates, but Google could announce it as early as next month's Mobile World Congress, and launch by August or September. Pricing is also unknown, but it would likely cost the same as – or slightly more than – the O.G. Nexus 10.

Performance boosts alone won't help the Nexus line to sell like the iPad. But if marketing and application support hit the right notes, it – and up-and-comers like the Sony Xperia Tablet Z – could potentially chip away at Apple's dominance.